‘Because you were home…’
Cinema is subjective. Fine. But I simply don’t understand why some films are lauded and others ignored. The Strangers features an incredible opening act, it contains one of the most chilling lines of dialogue in the history of horror cinema, it boasts an impressive cast, excellent sound design, a smart script – this should be considered a masterpiece of the genre…
We open with James Hoyt (Scott Speedman) and his girlfriend Kristen (Liv Tyler) involved in some kind of horrendous argument following a night at a party. This ingenious introduction to the characters allows us to get to know them intimately with very little dialogue and it frames everything else that comes after it. Very quickly, it becomes apparent that all is not as it seems at the secluded cabin in which they are staying. Cue masked assailants.
I will begin by saying that there will be spoilers here so proceed with caution. The Strangers is a nasty and nihilistic movie in the same vein as Last House on the Left and Eden Lake. Writer-director Bryan Bertino has no interest in following horror conventions. It becomes clear quite early on that there is to be no final girl here. Crucially, this isn’t torture porn either. Far from it. Instead, Bertino and his talented cast rely on the thrill of the chase to create tension and boy is this film tense. The first hour particularly is utterly gripping and compelling, helped along by a fine pair of performances from the leads (especially Tyler who is heartbreakingly excellent throughout) and some creepy sound design. The Strangers is well directed too. Bertino uses light and shadow expertly and he perfectly captures the feeling of a home being invaded. The sheer panic that comes with the realisation that that creaking floorboard isn’t just the house settling down. This is not a robbery. It’s a violation.
The Strangers perhaps hasn’t endured as it should because it is simply too dark. “Because you were home” is not a reason that the viewer can accept to explain a brutal massacre. But all too often, that is the reason why a crime is carried out. Pure happenchance. The ghoulish hand of fate. This is a horror film that is genuinely horrifying. A minor masterpiece.